Production of Homes Slid 4% in February

California housing production, as measured by new units in building permits, declined 4.1% in February to 203,700 seasonally adjusted annual units, from 212,500 in January, according to the California Building Industry Assn.

The decline--which CIBA President Roger C. Werbel attributed to slow-growth initiatives and building permit processing delays--was the second consecutive monthly drop. The February, 1988, figure is down 13.8% from the February, 1987, annual rate of 236,200 units.

Single-family housing dropped to an annual permit rate of 122,200 in February, 16.8% below the January annual rate of 146,800. The February, 1988, pace was 9.1% below the 134,400 annual rate for single-family units in February, 1987.

Multifamily permits, which plunged in January to the lowest level since May, 1983, jumped 24% in February to 81,500 annual units. Despite the increase, multifamily permits last February were 19.9% below the 101,800 recorded in February, 1987.

“Sometimes complete projects are stalled because of delays in permit processing,” said Werbel, a Monterey Park-based builder.

“City and county officials are worried about taking action on development approvals and permits because to the public it might look like they are fostering growth,” he said.”